Videos

Monday, 25 October 2010

The third canvas in my online course with Catherine. I used photographs from six generations of Terry's family from Mary Horwood who with her husband Martin came over from Ireland in about 1860 with nothing (hence the use of our favourite Yeats poem - I being poor have only my dreams) through to our eldest son Adrian who is soon to become a father himself. I love the photograph of Adrian's great grandmother in her wedding finery which seems to indicate that it didn't take long for the family to make its mark!

For all this looks a simple canvas there was a lot in it which took ages! I used Ranger Antique Linen Crackle Distress for the background, but I felt it was too dark so painted over it with a weak white acrylic paint mix. Rubbing the Tea-Dye into it afterwards resulted in quite a nice "vintage" look. The wire "frames" were fiddly but I think very effective and are all sewn on.

Again I learnt alot of different techniques and have to thank Catherine for introducing them so well.

A couple of cards I've made following Catherine's online "Punches" course - although mine are a mixture of punches and die cuts. It is a LONG time since I made a card which didn't have any inking in it! I really enjoyed these and a chance to use up some Anna Griffin papers too. I love the "flying" butterflies - I think these will be a favourite.

I also made this card for a friend who has just had a baby girl. I quite like the colours but no idea how I got them! I think I had a bit of yellow on the pink blending foam which resulted in this lovely peach!

Tuesday, 19 October 2010

This is the second canvas in Catherine's course - Inspired by the Ocean. Although mine is more inspired by our time sailing at sea. The base of the canvas is covered in an old maritime chart of Shetland, which you can't really see as it is covered with a number of layers of paint. There were so many layers on this canvas - the chart, then paint, then more paint, letters, stamped tissue, more paint. All before the final layers of collage were added. I also used some astronomical tables and I hope the large cog looks like a ship's wheel. I like the way the wire splits the canvas into spaces - although it took me a bit to get it in the right place!

I really enjoyed this canvas and was pleased to keep my theme of "time" running through it.

Tuesday, 12 October 2010

I'm also doing another course with the Creative Classroom - Wire Paint and Paper with Catherine Scanlon. This is the first canvas of a set of four.

The canvas was first covered with stamped tissue paper (I stamped my own tissue tex with Brown Staz On Ink and a Crafty Individuals clock stamp). Then I overlaid white and cream paint to create texture and cover up the hardness of the stamped images on the tissue paper. Other layers of paper and paint were then added before placing the buttons. Never have so many buttons been repositioned! They were all then sewn on with brass wire.

We were encouraged to develop a theme with this first canvas which will then follow through the set, in addition to adding some symbolism. My theme is the "Passage of Time" and each canvas will depict a different generation of the Atkinson family. The clock in the right hand bottom corner will point to the next generation when the set is hung. Symbolism? There are two female buttons (a pink one and a flowery one) for my mother in law and the tape represents the fact that the photo was taken in 1955/1956.

I wasn't too sure about it at first, but now I've stopped working on it I am getting to quite like it. I'm looking forward to the next canvas which we start tomorrow.

Journal Pocket: It wasn't too easy creating this curved pocket - it took a lot of persuasion! I used my new Smooch Spritz sprays for this - gingersnap and electric blue. Makes a change from my usual pinks. The depth of colour with these sprays is great and they really do shimmer. They also result in greater coverage of the dictionary paper so my flower has got some good colours in it for a change.

We used glossy accents in the middle and on the edges of the flower to create the look of early morning dew. Mine slipped off a bit!

Perfect Pearls: ..... and me do not get on! This is probably the best I've ever done with them. The butterflies were first stamped with versamark and then had perfect pearls lightly brushed over them and then spritzed with Vanilla Mist smooch. Then ....... and this was very clever. The stamp was reinked with Versamark and stamped over the image again (difficult to get it bang on) and then clear embossing powder sprinkled over the stamped image and heat set. It actually looks very impressive in real life.

Batik Embossing: Again another technique I've not done before. The flourish was stamped with Distress Ink (I used Chipped Sapphire) and then embossed with clear embossing powder. I then inked around the area with other distress inks and blended and spritzed them well. The embossed flourish acts as a resist. Then it was a case of "ironing off" the embossing ink using paper and an iron. I did get my paper stuck to the embossing powder in a couple of places, but I'm quite pleased with the effect. The page was decorated with more rolled roses.

Nearly at the end of this course now. Just one more week. It has really been great and I've learnt alot of new techniques.

Monday, 11 October 2010

A number of you have asked how I make the small rolled roses I used in one of my pages on the Artsy Fartsy course. I made a couple over the weekend and took these photographs (one handed!) explaining the process. Hope it helps.

DO have a go at making them as they really are very easy.

Cut a piece of light cardstock or dictionary/book paper approx 8" long (depends on the size of the book) and 1" wide. Spritz with water.

Twist the paper at the left hand edge, holding the right hand edge still. Just a gentle roll is all that is needed.﻿

Fold down the right hand corner (a sort of triangle) and start rolling the twisted paper, using the folds to create the edges of the rose.

Keep rolling until you get to the end. Put a little bit of glue onto the "tab" left at the end and fold onto the bottom of the rose.

Here's a finished one made with book paper. I find it easier to make them with this type of paper as they are more pliable.

I have also made them with grungepaper and they look pretty spectacular, but because the grungepaper is thicker the folding tends to spring back out sometimes, so a bit of perserverence is needed! I found it easier to spray the grungepaper ones with ink after they have been folded.

Thursday, 7 October 2010

Even more flowers! This week we made the pieced roses again, but this time I used Maya Road Mist (for the blue one) which is thicker than Glimmer Mist and makes the paper dry quite crisply. I then spritzed with Vanilla Mist Smooch which gives a lovely white covering. We were encouraged to make a plain flower as well, spritzed with water, although it has a softer feel than the others. I have finally got Donna's Journal Cards which have a lovely pattern on them which shows up when you spritz.

I'm not so enamoured of this page, but I didnt have the right pictures or the required Liquid Laminate. The picture is one of my garden photographs this year which I printed on light card and cut out. I then used Glossy Accents to cover the lower part of the page which then provided a mask for some more spritzing. I do like the use of the words though cut from Donna's Crafty Chronicle, spritzed, scrunched up and then stuck down. Very fiddly!

About Me

Live the Dream is all about my creative journey which seems to be continually evolving!
My style is shabby vintage mixed media and I am passionate about making my own flower embellishments. I love sharing my work either in tutorials here and on Design Team blogs and also at workshops here in Shetland.
Where will it lead me next I wonder - wherever or whatever I know I am living the dream!